This report describes the effects of the division of a cross-town bus route in Chatham into a pair of radial routes with new termini at the centre, using the same resources. Two surveys were conducted to monitor bus timekeeping and headways, one just before the reorganisation and the other two months afterwards. In addition, the boarding and alighting points of passengers were obtained as well as their reactions to the reorganisation. The revision resulted in a significant improvement in timekeeping on both the new radial routes, especially in the evening peak. Similarly, headways were made more regular. For the passengers who used the previous route for cross-town journeys (approximately 11 per cent of the total), there was a deterioration in service as regards cost, journey time and convenience. For the operator, the two new routes were easier to manage and marginally cheaper in bus mileage. Because of technical reasons discussed in the report it was not possible to make a reliable assessment of the net effect of the change on patronage and revenue. (Author/publisher).
Abstract